Chung Ming-Cheng, Tsai Pei-Yu, Chen Chun-Min, Yang Chueh-Ko, Chang Hen-Hong
Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, and Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
Department of Hospice-Palliative Care, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, 500, Taiwan.
J Tradit Complement Med. 2023 Mar 2;13(4):389-396. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2023.03.003. eCollection 2023 Jul.
A better understanding of irreversible prognoses in palliative care is crucial for improving patients' quality of life and their sense of dignity. We examined whether measurements of meridian electrical conductance can noninvasively and objectively predict survival time in a hospice patient population.
This was a single-center cohort study. Between 2019 and 2020, we measured skin conductance from 24 representative acupoints of 12 meridians on both sides of the body in 181 advanced cancer patients within 48 h of hospitalization and monitored their survival time. The Palliative Prognostic Score (PaP Score) was calculated for each patient, classifying them into one of three prognosis groups: Group A, B, or C. Factors associated with short-term and long-term survival were identified using multivariate regression analysis. Statistical differences in survival times were analyzed between the meridian electrical conductance measurements and PaP Scores.
Analyses of the clinicopathological data from terminal cancer patients revealed that male sex, mean meridian electrical conductance measurements of ≤8.8 μA, and PaP Scores in Group C were independent predictors of short-term survival. Mean meridian electrical conductance measurements of ≤8.8 μA demonstrated good sensitivity (85.1%) and adequate specificity (60.6%) for short-term survival. A survival curve analysis revealed a mortality rate of 90.6% at 30 days among patients with meridian electrical conductance measurements of ≤8.8 μA. A mean meridian electrical conductance measurement of ≤8.8 μA can objectively assess short-term survival with advanced cancer and reduce nonbeneficial medical treatment.
更好地理解姑息治疗中的不可逆预后对于提高患者的生活质量和尊严感至关重要。我们研究了经络电导测量是否能无创且客观地预测临终关怀患者群体的生存时间。
这是一项单中心队列研究。在2019年至2020年期间，我们在181例晚期癌症患者住院48小时内测量了其身体两侧12条经络24个代表性穴位的皮肤电导，并监测了他们的生存时间。为每位患者计算姑息预后评分（PaP评分），将他们分为三个预后组之一：A组、B组或C组。使用多变量回归分析确定与短期和长期生存相关的因素。分析经络电导测量值与PaP评分之间生存时间的统计学差异。
对晚期癌症患者临床病理数据的分析表明，男性、经络平均电导测量值≤8.8μA以及C组的PaP评分是短期生存的独立预测因素。经络平均电导测量值≤8.8μA对短期生存具有良好的敏感性（85.1%）和足够的特异性（60.6%）。生存曲线分析显示，经络电导测量值≤8.8μA的患者在30天时的死亡率为90.6%。经络平均电导测量值≤8.8μA可以客观地评估晚期癌症患者的短期生存情况，并减少无益的医疗治疗。
